Leaks Point to Google Superphone for Half the Price of an iPhone

Posted on Oct 6, 2013

Illustration based on a leaked image.

Google’s next Nexus phone (referred to by bloggers as the “Nexus 5,” for lack of an official name) has been all but announced, with a torrent of leaks online providing a very good idea of what to expect.

A 281 page manual (embedded below) is the latest leak confirming specs previously disclosed by sources to various tech sites. If these leaks are true, the Nexus 5 will be roughly the same size as its predecessor, the Nexus 4, despite having a larger screen. The phone will come with an 8 megapixel camera that includes optical image stabilization and may, according to unconfirmed reports and speculation, be made from a technology that allows the camera to focus many times faster than other phone cameras.

The Nexus 5 looks like a remodel of the LG G2, an incredibly powerful device that was dinged in reviews for its unflattering design and mucky take on the Android operating system. It should have a different camera, as mentioned above, and wireless charging capability.

The most exciting feature of the new Google flagship phone doesn’t have to do with silicon, but paper, as in money. According to reports, the Nexus 5 will be announced at the end of October for roughly half the price of the iPhone 5s—somewhere around $300. That price point would be in keeping with Google’s Nexus strategy since the release of the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 7 tablet.

So what is a Nexus? It’s the brand for Google’s own line of affordable, developer-focused devices. The purpose of the program may have evolved over time, but Google has clarified in the past that it builds Nexus devices primarily to help design and model the latest version of Android (in this case, KitKat), experiment with new technologies (Near Field Communication and wireless charging, for example) and set a bar for its numerous hardware partners.